Pentateuch Paper #3
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The
Sin and Trespass Offerings: Comparison and
Contrast
In the modern age of Christianity a debate has been raging
over the issue of sin. Christians on opposing sides bring
up many arguments to support their views. Yet it seems that
few actually take into account one of the most valuable
resources available to us, the Old Testament sacrificial
system. This system was designed to be a precursor to the
coming of Christ, who would then become our perfect
sacrifice on Calvary. It is for this reason that we are
justified in considering and studying this sacrificial
system. While Christ’s death has replaced many of the
ritualistic practices, such as animal sacrifice, the
principles for which the sacrifices were created are still
applicable to us today. We will now focus on two specific
sacrifices from this system that deal with the issue of
sin. The Sin Offering, and the Trespass Offering. It is
important to note for the understanding of this paper that
the Sin Offering was prescribed for a sin of ignorance. And
the Trespass offering was prescribed for a willful sin.
1. What is a sin of “ignorance”?
The sin of
ignorance, also known as an “unintentional sin,” is defined
in Leviticus ch. 4. Verse 13 is a good example of the
concept:
Leviticus
4:13 “And if the
whole congregation of Israel sin through ignorance, and the
thing be hidden from the eyes of the assembly and they have
done somewhat
against
any
of the commandments of the LORD concerning
things
which should
not be done, and are guilty;”
Look at the
specific terminology used in this verse. The phrase “sin
through ignorance” is followed by an explanatory phrase,
“and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly.” Or,
as the New American Standard translates it, “and the matter
escapes the notice of the assembly.” So, a sin of ignorance
is different from a willful sin (which will be discussed
later) in that it is not necessarily something you are
aware is a transgression of God’s law when you are doing
it. It is “hid” from you, or it “escapes” your attention.
There is also the sense in which a sin of ignorance, or
unintentional sin, refers to “sins of ‘surprise’ or
‘passion’—meaning that you did not premeditate and plan
your sin before you did it.” In both cases the perpetrator
has broken the word of God, and is thereby subject to guilt
(Leviticus 5:17, 19).
2.
What makes sin a sin?
There is a
standard for sin. The passages of Leviticus four and five
state this:
Leviticus
4:2 “Speak unto the
children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through
ignorance against any
of the commandments of the LORD concerning
things
which ought not
to be done, and shall do against any of them:”
Leviticus
4:13 “Now if the
whole congregation of Israel commits error and the matter
escapes the notice of the assembly, and they
commit any
of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be
done, and they
become guilty;”
As stated in these verses, a sin is a transgression of the
“commandments of the LORD” which is God’s Word. It is also
defined in the New Testament in 1 John 3:4. Here, again,
sin is defined as a transgression of the law (God’s Word):
1 John 3:4 “Whomever
committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the
transgression of the law.”
Having now
established the standard required to measure whether or not
something is sin, we can now define exactly what the action
of sin consists of. Simply defined, it is a violation of
any of the principles stated in God’s Word. Or, as it is
more commonly put, “a violation of a known law of God.”
3.
Is a person guilty for a sin of ignorance?
Some have a
concept that sin is defined only as a “willful”
transgression of a known law of God. But this is contrary
to Scripture. As evidence, please see the following verses:
Leviticus 4:13 “And if the
whole congregation of Israel sin through
ignorance, and the thing
be hidden from the eyes of the assembly and they have done
somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD
concerning things which should not be done,
and are
guilty;”
Leviticus 4:22 “When a ruler
hath sinned, and done somewhat
through
ignorance
against
any
of the commandments of the LORD his God concerning
things
which should
not be done, and is
guilty;”
Leviticus
4:27 “And if any one
of the common people sin through
ignorance, while he
doeth somewhat
against
any
of the commandments of the LORD concerning
things
which ought not
to be done, and be
guilty;”
Leviticus
5:2 “Or if a soul
touch any unclean things, whether it
be a carcase of an
unclean best, or a carcase of unclean cattle, or the
carcase of unclean creeping things, and if
it be hidden
from him;
he also
shall be unclean, and guilty.”
Leviticus
5:17 “Now if a
person sins and does any of the things which the LORD has
commanded not to be done, though he
was unaware,
still he is
guilty and shall bear his punishment.”
While
there is certainly a difference between willful sin, and a
sin of ignorance, they are both still sin, and, hence, are
subject to guilt. While you may not always be aware of your
sin, or it is unintentional, you still sinned. There is no
escaping or circumventing that fact.
4. Is atonement necessary for a sin of ignorance?
Contrary to the
popular view today, sins of any kind always require
atonement; even those of ignorance. The statement, “I
didn’t mean to” doesn’t change the fact that atonement is
still required. That atonement is required for a sin of
ignorance is well established. Look at the following
verses:
Leviticus 4:20 “And he shall
do with the bullock as he did with the bullock for a sin
offering, so shall he do with this: and the priest
shall make
an atonement for them, and
it shall be forgiven them.”
Leviticus
4:26 “And he shall
burn all his fat upon the altar, as the fat of the
sacrifice of peace offering: and the priest
shall make
an atonement for him as
concerning his sin, and it shall be forgiven him.”
Leviticus
4:31 “…and the
priest shall make
an atonement for him, and it
shall be forgiven him”
Leviticus
4:35 “…and the
priest shall make
an atonement for his sin
that he hath committed, and it shall be forgiven him.”
This also
supports the assertion earlier that a person is guilty of a
sin of ignorance. You would have no need of atonement if
you were not guilty.
5.
Are all “sins of ignorance” truly ignorance? Or are some of
them “unintentional” sins?
Not all sins of
ignorance are truly “ignorance” in the sense that the
offender is unaware that what he is doing is wrong. In
other words, some sins that are classified as “sins of
ignorance” could be more accurately stated as
“unintentional/inadvertent sins,” or even as “accidental
sins.” Leviticus 5:1-13 lists a few of these sins. For
example, not testifying to oath, touching unclean animals
or humans, and improper oaths. So, the offender knew that
it was wrong, but it was not something he planned for, it
was not premeditated. To quote Brown again, “[a sin of
ignorance] can refer to sins of “surprise” or
“passion”—meaning that you did not premeditate and plan
your sin before you did it.” In this sense, when you commit
some sins that fall under the category of “sins of
ignorance” you are not ignorant, or oblivious to the fact
that it is sin.
6.
What is the difference between “unintentional” sins of
Leviticus Ch. 4 and sins of Trespass of Ch. 5?
There are at
least two differences between sins of ignorance, and sins
of trespass:
A)
A
sin of trespass deals with sins that involve other people,
and have caused them some degree of loss. For example:
Leviticus
6:2 “If a soul sin,
and commit a trespass
against the
LORD, and lie unto his neighbor in that which was delivered
him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by
violence, or hath deceived his neighbour;”
In the case of
a sin of trespass restitution was always required. Numbers
5:7 gives the exact amount of the restitution payment:
Numbers
5:7 “then he shall
confess his sins which he has committed, and he shall make
restitution in full for
his wrong and add to it one-fifth of
it, and give it
to him whom he wronged.”
The “it” in vs. 7 is referring to the “full” restitution.
So, a person is required to pay 120% in restitution for the
sin he committed.
B)
Unlike sins of
ignorance, which can be committed without knowledge of the
fact that it is sin, sins of trespass are “willful” sins.
As Hamilton points out, “An examination of the particular
situations covered in 6:1-7 (sins against another person)
shows that these cannot possibly be sins done
inadvertently.” He then goes on to support his argument by
saying, “For example, refusing to return something that an
acquaintance has placed in one’s safekeeping, or stealing
from him, or lying about something that was lost by another
and found by oneself can hardly be called inadvertent
sins!”
7.
What is the difference between a “high handed” sin and a
willful sin?
While both of
these types of sin come from willful, volitional actions,
it is the subsequent conduct of the offender that separates
them. Ashley makes the distinction based on the offender’s
attitude toward repentance after a willful sin.
A) A willful sin:
If the offender
is repentant, he will evidence this by performing the
following actions: 1) he confesses his sin, 2) he is truly
contrite, and 3) he fulfills the necessary restitution for
his sin. If he evidences his repentant attitude by
accomplishing this, then his sin will fall under the
category of a trespass offering, and he can have guaranteed
forgiveness.
B) A “high-handed” sin:
Ashley states
about a high handed sin, “the sinner with a high
hand considers
Yahweh irrelevant for the future; this one sins in an
open-eyed and rebellious way, knowing full well what he or
she is doing. This kind of rebellion therefore differs from
the intentional sin described in Lev. 5:20-26 (Eng. 6:1-7)
for which a reparation offering may be made, ‘when the
offender feels guilty’ (5:23, 26).” If a person commits a
willful sin he is left with two options. He can either be
repentant and remorseful, and follow the prescribed steps
under the trespass offering, or he can be unrepentant, at
which point his sin enters into the category of a
high-handed sin.
It should be noted that there is no sacrifice provided to
atone for a high-handed sin. While a willful sin falls
under the trespass offering, the only thing that can redeem
a person who committed a high-handed sin. His only hope of
receiving forgiveness is that God will show him mercy
(Psalm 51).
As we have seen evidenced in this paper, God takes sin
seriously. It is not something to blush at, smile, and go
on. It is a heaven or hell situation. It requires true,
sincere repentance, not a quick “I’m sorry.” Sin must be
denounced and turned from. May God help all of us to truly
gain a right conception of sin.
Bibliography
References used:
Ashley, Timothy
R. The Book of
Numbers. William B.
Eerdmans Publishing Company. Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1993
Brown, Dr. Allan. Anthropology.
No publisher. No date.
Brown, Dr. Allan. The Old
Testament Sacrificial System. No publisher.
No date.
Cole, R. Dennis. Numbers.
The
New American Commentary. Vol. 3b. Broadman & Holdman
Publishers. United States, 1995
Hamilton, Victor P. Handbook on
the Pentateuch. Baker Book
House. Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1982
References
read, but not used:
Brown,
Raymond. The Message
of Numbers. The Bible
Speaks Today. Inter-Varsity Press. Leicester, England 2002
Clarke, Adam. The Bethany Parallel Commentary on the Old
Testament. Bethany House Publishers. Minneapolis, Minnesota
1985
Harris, R. Laird. Leviticus.
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Vol. 2. Zondervan
Publishing House. Grand Rapids, Michigan 1990
Harrison, R.K. Leviticus.
Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Vol. 3. Inter-Varsity
Press. Leicester, England 1980
Martin, Glen S. Leviticus.
Holman Old Testament Commentary. Vol. 2. Broadman &
Holman Publishers. Nashville, Tennessee 2002
Philip, James. Numbers.
The Communicator’s Commentary. Vol. 4. Word Books,
Publisher. Waco, Texas 1987
Rooker, Mark F. Leviticus.
The New American Commentary. Vol. 3a. Broadman &
Holdman Publishers. United States, 2000
Tidball, Derek. The Message
of Leviticus. The Bible
Speaks Today. Inter-Varsity Press. Leicester, England 2005
Unger, Merrill F. Sacrificial
Offerings. Unger’s Bible
Dictionary. Moody Press. Chicago, Illinois 1981
Wenham, Gordon J. Numbers.
Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Vol. 4. Inter-Varsity
Press. Leicester, England 1981
Wenham, Gordon J. The Book of
Leviticus. The New
International Commentary on the Old Testament. William B.
Eerdmans Publishing Company. Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1979.
Whedon, D.D. Leviticus
Numbers and Deuteronomy. Whedon’s
Commentary on the Old Testament. Vol. 2. Schmul Publishing
Company Incorporated. Salem, Ohio 1980